Katarina Edgeworth is married to the perfect man, Dr. Tom Edgeworth. He is a well loved and respected surgeon in New York but, Katarina can’t help but feel trapped. No longer a translator for the United Nation. That is until an FBI agent wants her to become an informant.

However, when I got to the part where Tom Edgeworth’s sister started calling Katarina a maniac I dnf’ed it. This was probably the last straw I had to stomach A Woman of Intelligence. I dnf’ed it at exactly 30% into the book. Let me explain from the beginning as to what I thought went wrong with A Woman of Intelligence. 

Book: A Woman of Intelligence by Karin Tanabe
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: July 20, 2021
(Thank you NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review)
**While this book has already been out I did receive it early so thank you again NetGalley!**
Tags: Adult, historical fiction, war
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository | Thrift Books
Read: November 15, 2021 to November 23, 2021

Welcome to my A Woman of Intelligence Blog Tour Review!!

A Fifth Avenue address, parties at the Plaza, two healthy sons, and the ideal husband: what looks like a perfect life for Katharina Edgeworth is anything but. It’s 1954, and the post-war American dream has become a nightmare.

A born and bred New Yorker, Katharina is the daughter of immigrants, Ivy-League-educated, and speaks four languages. As a single girl in 1940s Manhattan, she is a translator at the newly formed United Nations, devoting her days to her work and the promise of world peace—and her nights to cocktails and the promise of a good time. 

Now the wife of a beloved pediatric surgeon and heir to a shipping fortune, Katharina is trapped in a gilded cage, desperate to escape the constraints of domesticity. So when she is approached by the FBI and asked to join their ranks as an informant, Katharina seizes the opportunity. A man from her past has become a high-level Soviet spy, but no one has been able to infiltrate his circle. Enter Katharina, the perfect woman for the job.

Navigating the demands of the FBI and the secrets of the KGB, she becomes a courier, carrying stolen government documents from D.C. to Manhattan. But as those closest to her lose their covers, and their lives, Katharina’s secret soon threatens to ruin her.

Spoiler Free Review

Katarina Edgeworth is married to the perfect man, Dr. Tom Edgeworth. He is a well loved and respected surgeon in New York but, Katarina can’t help but feel trapped. No longer a translator for the United NationThat is until an FBI agent wants her to become an informant.

However, when I got to the part where Tom Edgeworth’s sister started calling Katarina a maniac I dnf’ed it. This was probably the last straw I had to stomach A Woman of Intelligence. I dnf’ed it at exactly 30% into the book. Let me explain from the beginning as to what I thought went wrong with A Woman of Intelligence.

I felt as though the progression was too slow. We still haven’t gotten to the part where she accepts the FBI agent and becomes a double agent of sorts because even though it’s been 30% through the book, it’s very slow. I’d also like to mention Tom’s behavior was absolutely unacceptable and his sister was worse. Katarina is wild and hardworking when she was young but the moment she marries Tom and has her two kids, she becomes a rather depressed and lifeless stay at home mom. First off, I must say, I’m a little disappointed with that. Stay at home mothers can be full of life, and so, to me this portrayal was just off and I wasn’t a fan of this. The treatment of Tom as well, oh my I think that was one of the straws that was just unbelievable for me. For him to be a doctor and to not understand the difficulties of motherhood.

Besides the characters, I just felt this was too long of an introduction. We are 30% in and we are still talking about her life and have not gotten to the part where she even accepts the FBI agent to be an informant. I think that if the development were faster, perhaps I could overlook the unnecessary character dialogue. But, this book was too slow and just the writing style was something I couldn’t move past. As a main character, Katarina seemed rather weak, not confident enough and while she had struggles, it shocked me to realize that she is the main character of the story and that she would become an informant.

A Woman of Intelligence was just not in depth enough and while I did not finish it and stopped at 30%, it irked me to no end the characters and the writing.

I hope you guys have a great day, please like and comment down below if you enjoyed this book as well or if you plan on reading it!

Loves,

Veronica Chen